When I was working on my thesis, we had to research on photographers we drew inspiration from. We needed to define the backbone of our art - mine in particular was aspiring to create breathtaking and inspiring work for the commercial realm that has an intimate meaning for women everywhere. Photography is the marriage of experience, artistry and technique. Portraiture has always been influential to me in terms of creating images of natural beauty. That being said, I have three main influences which include Rus Anson, Camilla Akrans, and Petra Collins.

Rus Anson is a contemporary photographer who graduated from the Academy of Art University and is currently working in New York. Her work has inspired me to create images in light of being able to do two things: 1. have an emotional expression of my art and 2. cater to the commercial and fashion industry. She is aware of the product - clothing, make-up, etc; however, the photos themselves are masterfully crafted and expressed in an artistic realm. Her use of soft light brings a depth and beauty to her photographs that I wish to exude in my work. She uses out-of-the-box props that show her influence from fantasy and dreams. During the Spring semester of 2013, I had the amazing opportunity to have her as my mentor. I can contribute the shift in my work to a more professional standard due to her guidance and honing of my style.

Photos below by Rus Anson http://www.rusanson.com/

Fashiongonerogue.com describes Camilla Akrans as “… a Swedish photographer best known for her work in Numéro and Harper’s Bazaar US. She began shooting in 1999 and has a aesthetic that can be described as soft and romantic.” I think that she has influenced my style in terms of the palette –which is a major qualifying factor. Her work tends to be a bit more saturated than mine but it has a similar aesthetic in mood and overall color.

Photos below by Camilla Akrans http://www.lundlund.com/photographers/camilla-akrans/

Petra Collins is a young photographer who works mostly in New York and Toronto. She was featured in Nylon, I-D magazine, The Oyster, Vogue, etc. Her aesthetic focuses mainly on the emotional quality exuded by the subject. Her portraits are well composed, with a great understanding of the relationship of color. However, the most of the influence I get from her work is the emotional aesthetic from her subjects.

Photos below by PetraCollins www.petracollins.com

The type of photographer I want to be is one who makes a ‘calculated’ splash into the industry – for my audience to know my awkwardly graceful subject as well as appreciate the clean, professional technique. My images are sound and styled, yet deep and moving. I capture moments of truth and beauty in youth by using a sophisticated palette – to create a mood that is romantic and dramatic. The light I use is natural so that the images are soft and intimate. My photography communicates beautiful, candid experiences wherein my subject is beautiful because they show their humanity.
Thanks for reading. Happy snapping!

D

the love of wandering

“This is the story of a girl
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world
And while she looked so sad in photographs
I absolutely love her
When she smiles”
- “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)” - Nine Days

Hi, everyone.
Welcome to my first ever blog post! I am truly excited to share my tips and experiences (as well as everything in between) about being a photographer.

I’ve put this off for far too long and I am finally ready to start this blog with a bang.

First off, introductions are in order.

My name is Danielle Rueda. I am a fashion and lifestyle photographer from San Francisco. I took my MFA in photography at the Academy of Art University. I graduated in 2013. In that time, I’ve had various photography jobs to tack on to my resume, including events, editorials, and teaching fundamentals in photography workshops.

I will say, though, that I consider myself going through the baby stages of my career (even with 4 and a half years of school under my belt and another 3 years prior shooting events and portraits with no formal training).

My love for photography (as love goes) came to me swiftly and suddenly - it literally smacked me in the face. I had met some hobbyists back in 2007 who let me tag along with them. I was so amazed at how people could transform in front of the camera. From that moment, I knew that I had found a passion that I wanted to pursue.
I lived in the Philippines back then, and decided to move to San Francisco to try my luck at photography. I’ve always loved shooting people - portraiture and fashion. In the early days of my photography, I thought I knew enough to keep myself afloat but, of course, after going through rigorous practice in school, learned that I was no where near professional.

I learned a lot of lessons the hard way - models/makeup artists flaking, the do’s and don’ts of using social media, using all natural light then going into all artificial lighting then transitioning back to natural light, working with people that either didn’t share their thoughts or were too opinionated for their own good, etc. It has definitely been a roller coaster ride.

Photography has so many elements to consider (as many art forms do). When I started getting into photography, I wanted to tackle each and every element all at the same time; I did not realize that this would clutter my images and make them lack soul and purpose. Eventually, it had dawned on me that I had not yet developed my personal style - and that really bugged me.

Now, years later, I feel like I’ve fallen into my own style. It is a style I am proud of and one that took some time to discover. Among my talented teachers, I mentored with Rus Anson (www.rusanson.com ; she is fantastic and the sweetest person). She really helped me hone in on what I wanted to shoot, for what purpose, and how to distinguish myself from others. I am a very analytical, hard working person, so naturally, my work would tend to be complicated and overdone. I had to take a step back to evaluate what I was shooting, why I was shooting, and the best, simplest way to execute what I wanted to shoot.

future is lookin’ bright

I finally decided to let go. I woke up one day and realized that my style consists of: 1) carefully chosen color palette (according to mood, colors in the actual scene, colors in relation to narrative), 2) soft focus/slight movement, and 3) natural light. Once I locked myself in on these three things that defined my technical style, I had broken a barrier that held me back. New work flowed from me incessantly; easy, uncomplicated and second-nature to me.

I kept at it. I practiced continuously. I honed my craft.

Now, I would like to share with the world what I’ve learned and am learning every day.

This blog is my venue to discuss various photographic concepts, artists, trends, inspiration, and experiences.

I hope you take this journey with me through my constant self-discovery as an artist - as a photographer.